An excellent way to promote the experience and expertise of your contracting company is to establish yourself as an HVAC expert. An expert becomes the go-to person when consumers have comfort questions or problems. It can help make you and your company more well-known and prominent in your community.

Demonstrate your knowledge about comfort control and indoor air quality issues by doing one or more of the following:

• Write an article on an HVAC topic for your local or community newspaper. If the editor likes and publishes your initial article, consider asking the paper about doing an article series or, if you have the time, a regular column.

• Write an article for a trade magazine such as The NEWS. After it is published, ask for permission to put a link to that article on your company’s Website. Appearing in one of the heating and cooling industry’s top trade magazines gives you immediate credibility as a knowledgeable contractor.

• If a local radio or TV station has a business segment, offer your services as an expert on HVAC topics. Provide some examples of topics you can address, such as what HVAC systems qualify for a federal tax credit, how to select a quality contractor (talk about NATE certification), the importance of proper humidification in winter, etc.

For an example of a contractor’s TV segment for a local station, click here.

• Write a blog that you post to your company’s Website. Write about problems that you have solved for your customers. Keep the customer anonymous but detail the specific problem and how you went about solving it. These can range from common problems to problems relating to specific applications.

• Contact your local chamber of commerce or community groups about a speaking engagement. If you land a speaking engagement, promote it on your Website.

• Send out a newsletter to customers and prospects featuring an article authored by you on a helpful comfort control topic. Talk about the savings that a programmable thermostat can provide, the importance of regular system tuneups, or helping those suffering with asthma or allergies breathe easier with high-efficiency filtration.

Use these approaches to get your name, and your company’s name, in front of your community on a regular basis and you’ll soon be recognized as the expert to call when they have an HVAC problem or concern.

Before joining the editorial staff of The NEWS over 12 years ago, Greg Mazurkiewicz worked in public relations and advertising for more than 20 years. In this periodic series of articles, he will share some of his expertise in the field of marketing communications.

Publication date: 11/09/2009